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P 231122Z JAN 09
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000202 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC FOR NEA STAFF 
 
SECDEF WASHDC FOR USDP/ASD-PA/ASD-ISA 
HQ USAF FOR XOXX 
DA WASHDC FOR SASA 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC FOR PA 
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL FOR POLAD/USIA ADVISOR 
COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE FOR PAO/POLAD 
COMSIXTHFLT FOR 019 
 
JERUSALEM ALSO ICD 
LONDON ALSO FOR HKANONA AND POL 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
SIPDIS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR IS
 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL MEDIA REACTION 
 
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SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS REPORT: 
-------------------------------- 
 
Mideast 
 
------------------------- 
Key stories in the media: 
------------------------- 
 
All major media, except Maariv, led with President ObamaQs statement 
at the State Department yesterday that it Qwill be the policy of my 
administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace 
between Israel and the Palestinians as well as Israel and its Arab 
neighbors.Q  President Obama was quoted as saying that the outline 
for a "durable cease-fire" in Gaza was clear.  The media noted that 
the President called on Israel to open the Gaza border crossings. 
HaQaretz reported that FM Tzipi Livni spoke with Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton and told her that Israel would not open the Gaza 
crossings without progress toward the release of kidnapped soldier 
Gilad Shalit.  The media reported that yesterday Obama on Thursday 
named former Sen. George Mitchell as his Middle East envoy, saying 
that one of his key tasks would be ensuring that the cease-fire in 
Gaza lasts.  Leading media quoted a senior GOI source as saying that 
Mitchell will arrive in Israel even before the Knesset elections on 
February 10.  Israel Radio quoted Mitchell as saying that there is 
no conflict that does not have a solution.  Yediot noted that he is 
remembered in Israel for his 2001 report calling for a freeze in 
settlement building. 
 
Israel Radio quoted senior Israeli officials as saying that ObamaQs 
remarks arouse hope that they will be translated into diplomatic 
activity that will lead to a resolution of the Middle East conflict. 
 They said that Israel is allowing hundreds of supply trucks into 
the Gaza Strip and never opposed such actions. 
 
PM Ehud Olmert was quoted as saying in an interview with Maariv that 
he and outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not actually 
fight and that this matter was exaggerated 
 
HaQaretz quoted a senior Israeli diplomatic source as saying that 
Israel has taken a favorable view of an Egyptian request to increase 
the force of its border guards along the Philadelphi Route by at 
least 750 -- and possibly as much as 1,500. 
Maariv reported that Hamas is unwilling to make any changes in its 
terms for releasing Gilad Shalit, i.e., the release of all the 
prisoners on the list given to Egypt.  Maariv and Israel Radio 
reported that the Shin Bet spokesman denied yesterdayQs media 
reports that Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin had changed his position 
in regard to releasing prisoners in return for Gilad Shalit.  The 
radio reported that in a statement that he issued, Diskin said that 
the Shin BetQs position was presented to all the relevant parties 
and has no connection with the results of the operation in Gaza. 
Israel Radio quoted the international paper Al-Hayat as saying that 
Amos Gilad, the head of the Defense Ministry's political-security 
bureau, told Egyptian leaders yesterday that Israel is not 
interested in a new period of calm but in guarantees that arms 
smuggling, etc., will not resume. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted unofficial IDF figures that that only 150 
of the 900 confirmed Palestinian fatalities casualties were 
civilians.  HaQaretz reported that a doctor at Gaza's Shifa Hospital 
told Lorenzo Cremonesi, the Gaza correspondent of the Italian daily 
Corriere Della Sera that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza 
during Operation Cast Lead might have been 500 or 600, mostly young 
men between the ages of 17 and 23, "drafted by Hamas, who sent them 
to the slaughter."  Yediot reported that Gazans told Cremonesi that 
armed Hamas fighters entered their homes to hide from IDF troops. 
 
The Jerusalem Post quoted a PA official in Ramallah as saying 
yesterday that Israel made a Qbig mistakeQ by ending Operation Cast 
Lead without overthrowing the Hamas regime.  Makor Rishon-Hatzofe 
quoted a senior IDF officer as saying that Israel refrained from 
assassinating Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh because it did not want to 
harm HamasQs less radical faction. 
 
The media reported that the three major parties intensified their 
election campaigns.  Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu promised to 
lower taxes. 
 
Maariv reported that Defense Ministry officials have not yet 
received details from the U.S. about the ship that was carrying arms 
that came from Iran in its hold, which was stopped last Monday in 
the Red Sea.  It is suspected that the arms were sent by Iran for 
Hamas in Gaza. 
 
Yediot reported that the U.S. is denying a visa from Prof. Uzi Arad, 
who was NetanyahuQs strategic adviser.  The newspaper cited informal 
information that reached Arad that the refusal is linked to his name 
being implicated in an embarrassing affair in U.S.-Israel 
relations. 
 
HaQaretz and other media reported that the Hadash party's Internet 
sites offer different messages about the recent war in Gaza 
depending on whether you view them in Hebrew or Arabic.  In Arabic, 
the site quotes a senior party official proclaiming "We are with the 
resistance everywhere" -- a statement that could be interpreted as 
support for Palestinian terrorist organizations.  In contrast, the 
party's two Hebrew-language Web sites denounce the war without 
expressing support for terrorist organizations. 
 
Makor Rishon-Hatzofe cited the disappointment of the friends of 
convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, whom outgoing President Bush did not 
pardon. 
 
The media reported that the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts 
and Sciences announced yesterday that the Israeli movie "Waltz with 
Bashir" will be one of the five finalists competing for the Best 
Foreign Language Film award at the Oscars on February 22. 
 
HaQaretz (English Ed.) quoted the IDF as saying that the 
Intelligence Corps' unit for monitoring foreign media, which used to 
be among the army's most important units for native speakers of 
English, has dropped its former recruiting requirement for 
mother-tongue knowledge of that language. 
 
Leading media reported that the U.S. Justice Department announced 
yesterday that El Al Israel Airlines Ltd, together with two other 
carriers, has agreed to plead guilty and pay criminal fines totaling 
$124.7 million for their roles in a conspiracy to fix prices in the 
air cargo industry.  Under the plea agreement, El Al has agreed to 
pay a criminal fine of $15.7 million. 
 
Maariv and Yediot published two similar public opinion surveys: 
 
Maariv presented the results of a TNS/Teleseker poll on voting 
intentions for the Knesset elections:  (In brackets: Maariv's 
January 29 poll): 
If the Knesset elections were to be held today, for which party 
would you vote? 
Likud 28 (28); Kadima: 24 (26); Labor Party: 16 (17): Yisrael 
Beiteinu: 16 (14); Shas: 9 (9); Arab parties: 9 (10); United Torah 
Judaism: 6 (5); Meretz: 6 (5); National-Religious Party-Jewish Home 
4 (3); National Union 2 (3). 
 
-------- 
Mideast: 
-------- 
 
Summary: 
-------- 
 
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz: QContrary to expectations by the candidates 
to the Israeli premiership, the economic crisis in the U.S. hasnQt 
pushed the Israeli-Arab crisis into the margins of the new 
administrationQs agenda. 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote on page one of 
Ha'aretz: QThe next Israeli government will have to watch itself and 
not do anything rash.  It will have to give up the habit of telling 
the Americans what is good for them. 
 
Liberal columnist and anchor Ofer Shelach wrote in the popular, 
pluralist Maariv: QThe President who promised to remove America from 
Iraq and who swore in his speech that QAmerica must play its role in 
ushering in a new era of peaceQ will no longer let its allies do 
what they want just because they are allies. 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post: QWhile the basic goal of the IRA was to 
bring about a united Ireland, it never posited as its aim the 
replacement of England with Ireland. 
 
Editor-in-Chief Amnon Lord wrote in the editorial of the 
nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe (1/23): QThe Great Black 
Hope, Barack Obama ... is also a threat to Middle Eastern 
stability.... [Conversely] the leaders of Europe are united with 
Israel against Hamas and Iran. 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
¶I.  "A Signal to Netanyahu" 
 
Senior op-ed writer Akiva Eldar commented in the independent, 
left-leaning Ha'aretz (1/23): QContrary to expectations by the 
candidates to the Israeli premiership, the economic crisis in the 
U.S. hasnQt pushed the Israeli-Arab crisis into the margins of the 
new administrationQs agenda.... ObamaQs declaration that the 
solution, Qtwo states for two nations,Q was intended for Israelis to 
forget ideas such as the transfer of Gaza to the Egyptians and the 
renewal of the PalestiniansQ link to Jordan. The end of the war in 
Gaza has allowed Obama to express understanding and even support for 
IsraelQs aggressive approach vis-a-vis Hamas. In exchange, the new 
President may ask Israel to show understanding and support for 
agreements it committed itself to, such as the QRoadmapQ and the 
Mitchell plan.  Now that Mitchell is coming, Israel will have to 
present receipts. 
 
II.  "And the Centrifuges Spin On" 
 
Senior columnist and longtime dove Yoel Marcus wrote on page one of 
Ha'aretz (1/23): QAmong the people Obama has appointed, there are 
several experts on what is going on here, and they have solid 
opinions about the kind of concessions they believe Israel must 
make.  In their eyes, even Ehud Barak is too right wing.  In 
practice, Hillary Clinton will be the person most involved in our 
affairs.  It is crucial that we work with her and not against her, 
and that we don't try to bypass her via the President or Vice 
President, who is considered a friend of Israel.  We will have to 
change the way we play the game.  The long and the short of it is 
that we need to conduct ourselves differently with this new 
administration.  Like porcupines making love, e will need to be 
very careful.  The next Israel government will have to watch itself 
and not doanything rash.  It will have to give up the habit f 
telling the Americans what is good for them.  bama may try to solve 
our grave defense problems with Hizbullah, Hamas, Syria, and Iran, 
which hav now been laid bare for all to see, by calling for 
dialogue or reordering priorities, but it is worh remembering -- 
and reminding the world -- that for the moment, Iran's centrifuges 
are busy spinning, night and day. 
 
 
III.  "A Question of Values" 
 
Liberal columnist and anchor Ofer Shelach wrote in the popular, 
pluralist Maariv (1/23): Q[ObamaQs] worldview will have 
repercussions from Washington to Jerusalem: the division between the 
good and the bad guys will remain, but the Qgood guysQ will no 
longer be able to do what they want just because they are on the 
American side of the line... Equating the adversary with the term of 
Qglobal terrorQ will no longer justify everything.  The President 
who promised to remove America from Iraq and who swore in his speech 
that QAmerica must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace 
will no longer let its allies do what they want just because they 
are allies. 
 
 
IV.  "Meet our new Peace Processor" 
 
Diplomatic correspondent Herb Keinon wrote in the conservative, 
independent Jerusalem Post (1/23): QIn selecting [George] Mitchell, 
the new U.S. President has chosen a man who believes that all 
troubles have solutions, that no problem is intractable.  He has 
chosen a man who believes in conflict resolution, not merely 
conflict management, which -Q to a large degree Q- was the default 
setting of the Bush administration and the Sharon and Olmert 
governments.... With the appointment of Mitchell [as U.S. envoy to 
the Middle East Peace Process], many will now draw parallels between 
the two conflicts [Northern Ireland and the Middle East].  It is, 
therefore, instructive also to look at the differences.  The first 
important difference is that while the basic goal of the IRA was to 
bring about a united Ireland, it never posited as its aim the 
replacement of England with Ireland.... Furthermore, while the IRA 
hated the British -Q while they saw Britain as the enemy -Q they 
never denied the legitimacy of the British state. 
 
 
¶V.  QAmerica Is Gone; Europe Is Coming 
 
Editor-in-Chief Amnon Lord wrote in the editorial of the 
nationalist, Orthodox Makor Rishon-Hatzofe (1/23): QThe Great Black 
Hope, Barack Obama ... is also a threat to Middle Eastern stability. 
 Israel has led a new status quo, the beginning of a new realignment 
along the Mediterranean coast, while Obama, according to his 
declarations, also intends to handle the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict at once.  He is also surrounded by advisors who tell him to 
engage in negotiations with Hamas.... The leaders of Europe are 
united with Israel against Hamas and Iran. 
 
CUNNINGHAM